untreatable

adjective

un·​treat·​able ˌən-ˈtrē-tə-bəl 

: not yielding or responsive to medical treatment : not treatable

an untreatable disease

These infections cause an untreatable degeneration of the nervous system …

—Jared Diamond

The location of the cancer rendered him untreatable by further surgery.

—Nancy J. Kubel

untreatably

ˌən-ˈtrē-tə-blē 

adverb

Examples of untreatable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Until now, the most common mutation in pancreatic cancer tumors was considered untreatable. — Lisa Hughes, CBS News, 30 July 2026

Conditions that were once considered untreatable are now the subject of active clinical trials. — Eliza Goldwasser, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026

The applause came for the medication’s ability to block the spread of the deadly disease, long considered untreatable with drugs. — Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2026

Experts highlight that the scans frequently reveal harmless anomalies or untreatable conditions, rather than actionable early detections. — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for untreatable

• eatable
• treatable
• depletable
• repeatable
• unbeatable

Medical Definition

untreatable

adjective

un·​treat·​able -ˈtrēt-ə-bəl 

: not susceptible to medical treatment

untreatable patients

an untreatable disease